For young people like Ricardo Muñiz, getting a license and being able to drive would make life much simpler.

Muñiz, 24, lives and works in Anaheim and attends Fullerton College, where he is majoring in international business and international relations.

He was brought to the United States from Mexico by his parents at age 7, and doesn’t drive. It takes 30 to 45 minutes to get to school by bus, and Muñiz, who lacks legal status, doesn’t drive. His mother, he said, even bought him a car – but he sold it to use the money for school.

“I would benefit if I could get a license,” he said. “I would want to get a car and to drive. I have a need. I rely on public transportation and that comes with headaches and a lot of stress.”

To do so, they would have to prove they qualify for federal deferred-action announced in June. The Department of Homeland Security announced that it would defer immigration enforcement actions against immigrants here illegally for two years if they can establish that they came to the U.S. before age 16, have lived here for at least five years, are in school or have graduated from high school and meet other requirements. The policy allows them to obtain work permits and temporary legal status.

“A lot of us commute long distances to college,” Muñiz said of friends he knows. “If we had driver’s licenses, it would be easier to community universities, schools and work.”

Opponents of the measure say it rewards illegal behavior.

Stan Nelson, of Lake Forest, is a member of the Federation for American Immigration Reform.

The way he sees it, young people living here illegally have benefited from taxpayer-supported educations, soccer fields and more.

“They’ve come here illegally and taken advantage of our tax base. And now we want to give them driver’s licenses. … Why is that we always have to surrender?” he asked. “Where does it stop?”

Roy Beck is president of Numbers USA, which he said favors reductions in both legal and illegal immigration.The group fears that giving driver’s licenses to people here illegally would open the doors for them to obtain other benefits and documents – even passports.

He said California might be moving too fast. The deferred-action order could be found illegal by the courts. There could be a new president, or changes in Congress following the election.

“It seems like the state is getting involved in something with long-term consequences that’s very unstable,” he said.

Jose-Mario Cabrera, spokesman for the group, said that the organization is confident that the Department of Motor Vehicles would approve driver’s licenses for young people who qualify for the deferred-action program anyway, but hopes that the governor will sign Cedillo’s measure.

“We still believe that giving a driver’s license to all Californians who qualify is for the greater good,” he said. “That opens the door to a whole new world for young people. It keeps them from getting tickets, from getting their cars towed and from paying the exorbitant towing fees. It helps keep them safe and keeps all of us safer.”

Gerson Cortes, 22, who is active in the Orange County Dream Team, says those would benefit most are younger. Many are students who commute by bus to school, and to jobs that support their educations. He walks a half hour to get to Santa Ana College.

Some drive, but it would be much safer for them to have licenses, he said. And it would relieve the stress of fearing a traffic stop and impoundment of their car, which can lead to fees that exceed the value of a vehicle.

“I know of friends who’ve had four-hour commutes in trains and bus to go from Orange County to Cal State Northridge, or two hours from Santa Ana to Cal State Long Beach,” said Cortes, who came as a child about 12 years ago and lacks legal status. “So having licenses would help a lot of people getting there.”

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